Machine for washing



(No Model.) `5 sheets-'sheet 1t l J. E. SIN-CLAIR'. MAGHmExFoR WASHING,V lSGOURING AND BURRNG WQOL. "N0.-292,869. l w 1 PatelfltmiPeb. 51884.

WITNESSES :v

yg@ afp .(NoModel.) A 5 sheets-sheet J. E. SINGLAIR. l y MACHINE FOR WASHING; SGOURING AND .BUNmNGW'ooL- f Patented Feb; 5, "1884.

` IWITNBSSES:

(No Model.) 5 YSheetus-Sheet 3.

VJ. E. SINGLAIR.

`JMIAGHINB POR WASHING, SOOURING AND `BUR'RING WOOL. N01;292,869. y Patented Peb. 5, 1884.

,l 'wg O. L o P N u @f ATTORNEYS.

5l Sheets- Sheet 5.

(No Model.)

TJCE; SINGLAIR. MAGHINB FOB. WASHING, 'SGOURING AND BURR-INGWOOL.

No. 292,869. ,Patentedfeh 5 1884.

oooo-oo o' ooo 000000 ooco oo o 000 00000 OO'OOOO ATTORNEYS- UNITED STATES*x PATENT" OFFICE.

JAMES E. SINOLAIR, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

MACHINE FoRwAsHlfNc, SCOURING, `AND BURRING WOOL. l

sPEcrFIcATroN forming part of Letters Patent No. 292,869, dated Ferruaryt, 1884.

Application nica Maren 2, rees. (No model.)

To all whom it may 50704367171.-

Be it known that I, J AMES E. SINCLAIR, of Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Machines for Washing,4 Securing, Burring, and `Picking Wool, of 1which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the annexed drawings, forming part of this specification.

This invention relates to machines for washing, scouring, burring, and picking wool by a continuous operation, and the invention consists of the novel construction hereinafter de-` scribed and claimed.I y

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of the machine.` Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same. Figs. 3, 4,"and 5 are parts of a longitudinal section of the machine enlarged; 'and Figs. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, and 14 are detail views. y

Intreatingwool preparatory to carding, I rst pass it through a washing apparatus, A, in'which the fibers are thoroughly separated and agitated in cold water .to remove all foreign substances, such as grit and sand, and ,also lime, where the wool has been obtained from pelts. From. the washing apparatus the I Wool is pumped into a scouring apparatus, B,

Where it is treated with hot water and substances for removing the animal grease. As the' wool is thoroughly separated before it reaches the hot water, it need notbe subjected to the heat long enough to injure the fiber, but

maybe quickly scoured, and pumped into the burring and picking apparatus C, where it is rinsed in cold water, and burred and picked, and iinally discharged from the machine in condition to be dried, and then carded.

The machine for carrying out the end I have in view includes, then, the washing apparatus A, the scouring apparatus B, and the burring and picking apparatus C, as above indicated. The washing apparatus A comprises a tank or receptacle, D, having a hQpperE,

leading thereto, and a drum, F, provided with teeth'for feeding the wool from the hopper into the receptacle.

To facilitate the complete separation of the bers of wool as they are drawn into the bath, I provide a concave apron, G, at the front llower side of the drum, extending downfrom the hopper, which apron is formed of a series ratus is provided for.

` of strips, g, provided with teeth g3, and supported on springs g and cross-bars g* in such manner that they may be depressed to withdraw their teeth from the wool, to prevent the wool from accumulating thereon. I also provide a concave plate, g5, arranged inside the apron G, and having perforations gG, through which the teeth g3 project when the strips g are not depressed, and which plate is adapted to hold the wool `while the teeth are being y withdrawn therefrom. y

Various means may be employed for giving a regular sinking and rising movement to the strips g by the rotation of the drum.

I have shown the drum provided with projections g2, arranged `on its periphery in spiral lines, (see Fig. 6,) and corresponding projections, f, on the strips g, against which the pro jections on the drumwill strike anddepress the strips. When the plate gis used, it is to beprovided with slots g?, through which the proj ections j' may extend, as shown in Figs. 7 and 8. The projections may be arrahged in any desirable manner to give the necessary movement required for releasing any tufts of wool that may adhere to the teeth.

To prevent the woolfrom adhering to the teeth of the drum a brush, I-I, is arranged at the rear of the latter, which is to be rotated by suitable connections to clean the teeth and force the wool downward into the water. pipe, I, entering the receptacle D at one side, will keep up a supply of water, which filters through the perforated cover h and the false bottom h into the still-water chamber h2, from which it is let off by means or" the cock h3. The grit and sand will also drop through the false bottom h and leave the main part of the receptacle D comparatively clean. opposite end of the` receptacle D from the drum F are arranged two upright pumps, J, by which the wool is to be elevated to the traveling apron K outside of the said recepta-` At the This apron is formed of "suitable netroo circulation `of the water in the washing`appa- From the traveling apron K the wool passes between the two wringing-rollers M, and is brushed downward by the rotary brush N into the scouring apparatus B.' The scouring apparatus comprises a conical hopper-shaped receptacle, O, and an upright conical drum, l), arranged therein. llhe inner surface of the receptacle O and the periphery of the drum are corrugated, so that as the drum is rotated and the wool drops down around the drum` into the hot water which envelops it, the wool will be subjected to a rubbing operation, which, together with the effect ofthe cleansing compounds used ,will remove all animal grease therefrom. The hot water is supplied by a pipe, j, entering the receptacle Q at one side thereof, which receptacle is provided with a false bottom, j', leaving opencommunication below with the passage k, along which the wool is forced as it passes from the scouring-drum. The passage k has a perforated false bottom, 7c', leading to a still-water chamber, k2, from which the dirt and water are drawn off'through a cock, k3. The scouring apparatus is likewise provided with a pair of pumps, R, arranged in all respects like those in the washing apparatus for pumping the scoured wool to a traveling apron, S, similar to the apron K. The water dripping from the wool is run back into the scouring apparatus by means of thev pipe m from trough Z. From the traveling apron S the wool passes between the two wringingrollers T, and is brushed downward by the rotary brush U into the burring and picking apparatus Cf At the front of this apparatus is a toothed drum, D', fitted to revolve in av semicircular basin, E', and above the drum is arranged a rinsing device, F', consisting of a series of perforated cross-pipes adapted for spraying or jetting -cold water over the said drum. As the water accumulates in the basin E' it discharges through an overflow-pipe, I, arranged on the outside of the machine and communicating with the receptacle of the washing apparatus already described. As the drum D rotates, a brush, G, removes the wool from the teeth ofthe drum and brushes it into a receptacle, H, which has a drum, I', and a concave apron, J', similar to the drum and apron of the washing apparatus. Here the wool is again thoroughly separated, and as it is carried up by the drum it is met by the burring-drum K, which rotates in the opposite direction to that of drum I and separates 1 fromacting on the wool longer than necessary, this' drum is formed of two parts-an outer cylindrical shell, 1r, having perforations therein, and an inner drum, p2, formed of bars g,having pins secured thereto, which are adapt- Y"ed to project through the perforations of the outer shell. The longitudinal axis of the in'- ner drum, p2, is located outside of the longitudinal axis of the outer shell, p, (see Figs. 13 and 14,) and the ends of the bars gv are adapted to' move in a cam-groove, q', in the walls supporting the drum, so that the teeth of the drum will be drawn inward and within the outer shell as they passto the rear, in the act of rotation. rlhe teeth will thus cease to act on the wool when the latter reaches the upright grating N. rEhe slots in the grating N are made narrow at the front side, as shown in Fig. 12, and flaring at the rear, to prevent the wool from wedging therein as it is drawn through the same by the picking-drum M. The'drum M consists of two wheels, having' bars'r, secured thereto in a twisted or spiral form, as shown in Fig. 9, and provided with teeth which are slightly hooked at the ends. These teeth are adapted to extend partially through' the grating, in order that they may reach the wool and draw it through. To the spokes of the two wheels of the drum are secured bars or blades s, which are to serve as fans for expelling the wool from the machine.

Owing to the great quantity of water that is required in washing and scouring wool, it is of the greatest importance that the water shall be utili-Zed to the fullest extent.

l It will be seen that I provide for the running of the water from the rinsing device to the washing apparatus, whereby it is made to do double duty, and by the arrangement of the troughs and pipes above described the water that is pumped up out of the washing and the scouring apparatus is returned to the same, respectively. A current is thus produced through both the washing and the scouring apparatus, which serves to carry the wool along until it is brought within the suction of the pumps.

-`The special construction of the scouring and the picking and burring apparatus will be made the subject of subsequent application for patent. l

1. A machine for treating wool, havinga series of connected receptacles in which the wool is successively treated, and which receptacles are combined with one or more pumps for elevating the wool and water from one receptacle to another, and aprons and troughs for returning the elevated water to the receptacle from which it was drawn, whereby a circulai tion ofthe water in said receptacle will be produced to assist in carrying the wool through the machine, substantially as specified.

2. .A machine for treating wool, having a series of receptacles in which the wool is successivelytreated, which receptacles are combined with pumps adapted to elevate the'wool, traveling aprons, wringers, and brushes, the

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latter delivering the wool from the wringers,

and pipes or troughs for returning the elevat-. ed water for repeated use, substantially as specified.

3. The machine herein described, consisting of the washing apparatus comprising a receptacle and revolving toothed drum and elevating-pumps, the scouring apparatus connected to the Washing apparatus byatraveling apron and Wrngers, and `comprising a corrugated conical drum and corresponding receptacle and elevating-pumps, and the burring,` and picking apparatus connected to the scouring apparatus by atravelingi apron and Wringers, and coniprising a receptacle and a series of toothed drums, all arranged `and adapted to operate substantially as shown and described.

4. `The apparatus consisting of the toothed drum, the Wool and Water receptacle7 the con-` cave apron formed of movable toothed bars, and the rotary brush, all combined and adapt- JAMES E. SINCLAIR.

Witnessesi A. G. LYNE, SoLoN C. KEMoN. 

